Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-02-24
aJohn,s roomp

aJohn's roomr
"Oh, mother is perfectly satisfied; indeed,
suggested it. It's larger and win hold two
beds, for Ned the friend, must attend to
hi,u at night. And, Kate, don't you think,
II you're not going out again, you might
change your costumea It does very well
while we are alone"-
"Well," said Kate Indignantly, Has am
not going into his room
@Im not so sure about that, IL we can't get
a regular doctor. But he is very restless,
and wanders all over the house like timid
and apologize spaniel
| aWhoan
aWhy Ned But must go and look after
the patient. I suppose they've got him safe
in his bed again." and with nod to her sis
ter she tripped up stairs.
| Uncomfortable and embarrassed, she knew
not why, Kate sought her mother. But that
| good lady was already In attendance on the
patient, and Kate hurried past that baleful
center Of attraction with q feeling OF loneli-
ness and strangeness she had never expe-
rienced before. Entering her own room she
went to the window--that first and last ref
| uge Of the troubled mind-and gazed out.
| Turning her eyes In the direction of her
| mornings walk, she started back with a sense
of being dazzled. She rubbed first her eyes
| and then the rain-dimmed pane It was no
| illusionl The whole landscape, so familiar to
her, was one vast field Of dead, colorless
white! Trees, rocks, even distance itself, had
vanished in those few hours An even,
shadowless, motionless white sea filed the
horizon. On either side a vast wall OF snow
seemed to shut out the world like shroud
| Only the green plateau before her, with its
! sloping meadows and fringes OF pines and
| cottonwood, lay alone like a summer island
| in this frozen sea.
A sudden desire to view this phenomenon
| more closely, and to learn for herself the
limits of this new tethered life, completely
possessed her, and accustomed to act upon
her independent impulses, she seized hooded
waterproof cloak and slipped outof the house
| unperceived. The rain was falling steadily
| along the descending trail where she walked,
but beyond, scarcely mile across the chasm,
| the wintry distance began to confuse her
snow. Hurrying down with feverish excite
ment, she at last came in sight of the arching
| granite portals of their domain. But her first
glance through the gateway showed it closed
| as IL with white portcullis Kate remem-
| bered that the trail began to ascend beyond
| the arch, and knew that what she saw was
| only the mountain sido she had partly climbed
R,.f tba cy1nx huA a
| its flank, and the exit by trail was prac-
| tically closed. Breathlessly making her way
back to the highest part of the plateau--the
| cliff behind the house that here descended alb
| ruptly to the rain-dimmed valley-she gazed
at the dizzy depths in vain for some undiscoy-
cred or forgotten trail along its face But a
| single glance convinced her of its inacces-
| sibility. The gateway was indeed their only
outlet to the plain below. Sho looked back
at the falling snow beyond until she fancied
she could see in tho crossing and recrossing
lines the moving meshes of fateful web
woven around them by viewless but mex
| orable fingers
Half frightened, she was turning away,
when she perceived. a few PAGES distant, the
figure of the stranger, "Ned," also apparently
absorbed in the gloomy prospect He was
wrapped in the clinging folds OF black
serape braided with silver; the broad flap Of
a slouched hat beaten back by tho wind ex-
posed the dark, glistening curls on his white
forehead. He was certainly very handsome
| and picturesque, and that apparently without
effort or consciousness Neither was there
anything in his costume or appearance in
consistent with his surroundings, or oven
with what Kate could judge were his habits
or position. Never. heless she instantly de-
cided that he was too handsome and too pic
turesque, without suspecting that her ideas
of the limits of masculine beauty were merely
personal experience.
As he turned away from the cliff they were
brought face to fece. at doesn't look very
encouraging over there" he said, quietly, as
il the inevitableness OF the situation had re-
lieved him of his previous shyness and effort;
otis even worse than expected The sAow
must have begun there last night, ard
looks as if it meant to stay" He stopped for
a moment, and then, lifting his eyes to her,
| said: II suppose you know what this meansT
~ don't understand you"
II thought not. Well it means that you
are absolutely cut of here from any commu-
nication or intercourse with any one outside
of that canyon. By this time the snow is five
feet deep over the only trail by which one
can pass in and out Of that gateway. / am
! not alarming you, 1 hope, for there is 10 real
physical danger; a place like this ought to
be well garrisoned, and certainly is self-sup-
porting so fer as the mere necessities and
even comforts are concerned. You have
| wood, water, cattle and game at your COM
mand, but for two weeks at least you are
completely isolated"
"For two weeks, said Kate, growing pale
"and my brother:'
"IIe knows all by this tins and Is prob
ably as assured as I am of the safety of his
! family"
"For two weeks" continued Kate, ''impossi
blei You don't know my brotheri He viii
find some way to get to u.s."
II hope So" returned the stranger, grave
ly, "for what is possible for him Is possible
for U.s."
sThen you are anxious to get away Katc
could not help saying.
Every"
The reply was not discourteous in manner,
but was SO far from gallant that Kate felt
| new and inconsistent resentment. Before
she could say anything he added, "And
hope you will remember, whatever may hap
pen, that did my best to avoid staying here
longer than was necessary to keep my friend
| from bleeding to death in the road"
Certainly" said Kate; then added awk-
wardly, II hope he'll be better soon." She
was silent, ana then, quickening her pace,
said hurriedly, II must tell my sister this
| dreadful news.n
II think she is prepared for it. If there is
| anything can do to help you hope you win
let me know. Perhaps l may be Of some
service. l shall begin by exploring the trails
| tomorrow, for the best service we can do you
- Il